Suspension of flights eased, no COVID-risk areas in city

CHINA’S civil aviation authority loosened its flight suspension mechanism from yesterday to boost crossborder exchanges amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the “optimized rule,” an inbound international flight will be suspended for a week, rather than two as previously, if imported COVID-19 cases on board reaches five or 4 percent of the total number of the passengers.

The flight will be put on hold for two weeks, if the number of imported infections reaches 8 percent of the travelers on board, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

“The adjustment aims to balance COVID-19 prevention and economic and social development, as well as promote cross-border exchanges and cooperation,” the CAAC added.

The administration launched its suspension mechanism for international passenger flights in June 2020 and updated the policy in December 2020 to further contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The previous rule stipulated that a flight will be suspended for two weeks if the number of passengers testing positive reaches five. The suspension lasts for four weeks if the number hits 10.

As a major hub for inbound overseas flights, Shanghai has reported no local COVID19 cases for three days in a row.

The city’s last medium-risk area in Yangpu District’s Changhai Road Subdistrict was downgraded after midnight Saturday, when the lockdown in the area was also lifted, marking a key milestone in the city’s arduous fight against the virus since March.

“It means the entire city will enter the regular

COVID-19 prevention and control stage,” the city government announced on its official WeChat account on Saturday.

However, the city reported three imported confirmed cases and eight imported asymptomatic infections on Saturday, according to the Shanghai Health Commission.

So far, of all the 4,953 imported cases in Shanghai, 4,875 have been discharged upon recovery and 78 are still hospitalized.

Despite no risk areas in the city, a 72-hour negative nucleic acid test report or a 24-hour test proof is still required for local public places and transport.

Citizens are asked to keep wearing masks, maintain social distance and ensure personal hygiene.

Those from or by way of domestic medium- or highrisk areas within seven days are asked to inform neighborhood committees, working units or hotels within 12 hours after their arrival in Shanghai.

Shanghai has reported zero local infections for five days since August as the pandemic wanes.

The number of local mediumand high-risk areas, where positive cases live or have been to, also dropped sharply, to the zero now.

Shanghai initiated its unprecedented mass lockdown in late March to contain the spread of the resurgence, which started on March 1.

During the peak of the resurgence in mid-April, the city reported more than 27,000 daily new cases.

After the more than two-month-long citywide lockdown was finally lifted on June 1, several rounds of local resurgence triggered by negligent or illegal operations at city public venues such as a hair salon and a karaoke bar, broke out.